We all have our definition of heroes. To some, it’s those superhuman fictional beings with outrageous strength and fantastic skills. I’ll be honest…I certainly felt like a hero when I was four and used to wear my Wonder Woman underwear. It was my tip-top secret that on those days I could tear off my pants and save the world if requested …luckily Spindle City pre-school was never attacked by nuclear missiles or assaulted by an evil villain.
My mom might not have been too proud with that phone call.
To other people heroes may be those in the military, warriors who sacrifice their lives to defend ours and show courage in the face of death because they hold the utmost values. A hero may be a family member who has simply given all of his heart and soul to the people he loves. Maybe a hero is a historical figure, a person who has made her mark on the foundation of our society.
Heroes.
A couple of weeks ago I was an honoree at Simon’s Soiree, a heart screening fundraiser for Simon’s Fund. This non-profit organization is in memory of an infant whose life was claimed by LongQT Syndrome, the same underlying and life-threatening cardiac condition found in as many as 1 in 4,000 people…Most are unaware of its existence. The auctioneer at the event, a local sportscaster personality, unexpectedly posed the question to all of us: “What does being a hero mean to you?”
In his line of work, professional athletes are often credited with this term. There is an incredible amount of courage attributed to the competitor who parts the seas and leads the way to a World Series championship or a Super Bowl victory.
Luckily, our auctioneer friend disagreed with the way athletes are portrayed. He assured us that none of us would turn down the $30 million a year to lead the “difficult” and “valiant” life of a professional athlete. Where was the heroism in that?
He explained that heroes are the parents of Simon, people who fight through their own pain to prevent others from experiencing grief and loss. Heroes selflessly push to create change, no matter the personal obstacles, no matter the struggle. Heroes help other people, whether they personally know those people or not.
His question stuck with me. I’ve met so many heroes in my heart health advocacy: the man who was saved with an Automated External Defibrillator and now pledges to place them in every school and public facility; the doctors who volunteer to organize a free camping trip for children with congenital heart defects; the 10-year-old girl who had a stroke as an infant and talks to adults about their heart health; the hundreds of parents of Parent Heart Watch who have lost children like Simon and aim to create national awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
I guess I’ve come a long way from my Wonder Woman underwear. Heroes has been re-defined. It’s not about our names being in the headlines, and it certainly isn’t about our bi-weekly paycheck. We all have the capacity to be heroes. We all have personal stories that can touch others. We all have the ability to create change.
Define what being a hero means to you, and then become one.
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We all have our heroes. There is a hero in every heart. For me, the hereos are the nurses that responded to my code in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at St Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, Ca.
Because of them I was given a second chance. I weighed 390 lbs, and had two heart attacks in 48 hours. Over the 8 months following my heart attacks, I had 4 stents, failed four cardiolite stress tests, and through diet and exercise, lost 190 lbs. Finally had open heart surgery after my 4th failed stress test.
Today, I feel better than I did 30 years ago. My waist has gone from a size 46 to a size 32, my shirt from a size XXXL to a size L. I run 3 miles each day, and walk 10,000 steps. I owe the world to the nurses at St Joseph's medical Center. One of my nurses was named the Mended Hearts Inc Helen Shuman Endowment Recepient at their national convention in Scottsdale Arizona in 2006 for her efforts in my recovery.
Life is good.
Mark Miller
February 26, 2008 - 1:05pmLinden, California
This Comment
i think this is a wonderful story
March 14, 2008 - 3:46pm